Original Word: מוֹצָא
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: mowtsa'
Pronunciation: mo-tsaw'
Phonetic Spelling: (mo-tsaw')
KJV: brought out, bud, that which came out, east, going forth, goings out, that which (thing that) is gone out, outgoing, proceeded out, spring, vein, (water-)course (springs)
NASB: exits, going, proceeds, spring, springs, starting places, utterance
Word Origin: [from H3318 (יָצָא - went)]

1. a going forth, i.e. (the act) an egress, or (the place) an exit
2. (hence) a source or product
3. specifically, dawn, the rising of the sun (the East), exportation, utterance, a gate, a fountain, a mine, a meadow (as producing grass)

brought out, bud, that which came out, east, going forth, goings out, outgoing

Or motsai {mo-tsaw'}; from yatsa'; a going forth, i.e. (the act) an egress, or (the place) an exit; hence, a source or product; specifically, dawn, the rising of the sun (the East), exportation, utterance, a gate, a fountain, a mine, a meadow (as producing grass) -- brought out, bud, that which came out, east, going forth, goings out, that which (thing that) is gone out, outgoing, proceeded out, spring, vein, (water-)course (springs).

see HEBREW yatsa'

Word Origin
from yatsa
Definition
a place or act of going forth, issue, export, source, spring
NASB Translation
east (1), exits (3), fountains (1), going (2), going forth (1), import (1), imported (1), issuing (1), mine (1), outlet (1), proceeds (2), rising (1), seeds (1), spring (2), springs (2), starting places (2), utterance (2), what goes (1).

I. מוֺצָא noun masculine^{Hosea 6:3} place or act of going forth, issue, export, souce, spring; — absolute ׳מ Job 28:1; Psalm 75:7; construct ׳מ Numbers 30:13 9t.; מֹצָא Job 38:27; Daniel 9:25; suffix מוֺצָאֲךָ 2 Samuel 3:25; מֹצָאוֺ Hosea 6:3; מוֺצָאוֺ Psalm 19:7; plural construct מוֺצָאֵי Isaiah 41:18 5t.; suffix מוֺצָאָיו Ezekiel 43:11;מוֺצָאֵיהֶם Numbers 33:2 (twice in verse); מוֺצָאֵיהֶן Ezekiel 42:11; —

1 a going forth:

a. the act, of ׳י Hosea 6:3; of the sun = rising Psalm 19:7 (see יצא 1f); of man 2 Samuel 3:25 (opposed to מָבוֺא Kt); דָּבָר ׳מ Daniel 9:25 going forth of a command.

b. concrete, מוֺצָאֵי גּוֺלָה Ezekiel 12:4 goings forth of exile, i.e. those going forth into exile (in simile).

c. way out, exit: concrete, of chambers in temple Ezekiel 42:11; Ezekiel 43:11 (opposed to מוֺבָאָיו); מוֺצָאֵי הַמִּקְדָּשׁ Ezekiel 44:5 (opposed to מְבוֺא הַבַּיִת).

2 that which goes forth:

a. utteranc of mouth or lips (especially of solemn or formal speech), ׳מוֺצָא פִייֿ Deuteronomy 8:3; ׳שְׂפָתַי מ Jeremiah 17:16; Psalm 89:35; so Deuteronomy 23:24; Numbers 30:13 (P).

b. export of horses 1 Kings 10:23 2Chronicles 1:16.

3 place of going forth:

a. source or spring of water 2 Kings 2:21; Isaiah 58:11 (in simile) Psalm 107:33 ("" נְהָרוֺת), Psalm 107:35 ("" אֲגַםמֿים) = Isaiah 41:18 ("" id.); מוֺצָא מֵימֵי גִיחוֺן הָעֶלְיוֺן2Chronicles 32:30.

b. place of departure of Israel on marchNum 2 Chronicles 33:2 (twice in verse) (P).

c. מוֺצָא = east (place of sun's going forth) Psalm 75:7 (opposed to מַעֲרָב); zeugmatically, Psalm 65:9 מוֺצָאֵי בֹּקֶר וָעֶרֶב i.e. the east and the west (compare the two Orients, Qor 43:37).

d. place whence silver comes = mine Job 28:1; וּלְהַצְמִיחַ מֹצָא דֶשֶׁא Job 38:27 and to cause the growing-place (others, the growth) of young grass to sprout.

Scope of the Term

מוֹצָא (môtsāʾ) appears about twenty-seven times in the Hebrew Scriptures. Its central idea is “that which goes out,” yet the contexts span physical exits, flowing springs, sunrise in the east, the origin of goods, the outflow of speech, and the results that issue from a person’s life. The diversity of usage invites reflection on God as the ultimate Source from whom all things proceed and to whom every “going out” is accountable.

Outgoing and Entrance

1 Chronicles 9:18 notes Levitical gatekeepers stationed at “the King’s Gate on the east side,” the term designating the point of egress from the sanctuary into the wider world. Psalm 121:8 blesses daily movements: “The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in, from this time forth and forevermore.” Israel’s covenant life was therefore lived under divine supervision at every threshold—military campaigns, journeys, marketplace activity, and worship alike.

Springs and Watercourses

When Sennacherib threatened Jerusalem, Hezekiah “consulted with his officials to stop the water from the springs outside the city” (2 Chronicles 32:3), then “blocked the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and channeled the water down” (32:30). The same word describes the natural emergence of water that sustains life and the engineered conduit that preserves a besieged people. In desert regions a motsaʾ of water meant survival; spiritually it symbolizes the life God provides in barren places (cf. Isaiah 41:18, using the cognate plural).

Rising of the Sun (East)

Psalm 19:6 celebrates the sun’s course: “It rises at one end of the heavens and runs its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.” The daily motsaʾ of the sun testifies to the constancy of God’s created order. Psalm 65:8 pairs the dawning and dusk: “You make the morning and evening shout for joy,” framing each day between outgoing and incoming light under divine orchestration.

Origin and Outflow of Speech

Deuteronomy 8:3 grounds human dependence on revelation: “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.” What issues (motsaʾ) from God is nutritive and authoritative. By contrast, Deuteronomy 23:23 demands integrity: “You shall be careful to perform what has come out of your lips.” Vows, promises, and all speech are measured by the same standard that sanctifies divine utterance—truthful correspondence between word and deed.

Commerce and International Exchange

During Solomon’s reign “horses were imported from Egypt and Kue; the royal merchants purchased them from Kue” (1 Kings 10:28; 2 Chronicles 1:16). The term marks the export point of an international trade route. The text implicitly warns that what flows into Israel from foreign sources can shape national identity—for good or for ill—just as Israel’s worship and ethics were meant to flow outward as witness among the nations.

Outcome, Results, and Issues of Life

Though the noun in Proverbs 4:23 is the feminine plural form, the conceptual link is evident: “Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” The verse distills a principle observable throughout the occurrences of motsaʾ: whatever is stored within—whether water behind a wall, words in a mouth, or motives in a heart—eventually emerges. The term therefore carries a moral trajectory: the source determines the quality of what issues forth.

Interwoven Themes

1. Providence. From sunrise to springs, God regulates the processes represented by motsaʾ, underscoring His sovereign care over creation and history.
2. Responsibility. Human outflow—whether speech, trade, or daily movements—falls under covenant accountability. Broken vows or unjust commerce reveal corrupted sources.
3. Pilgrimage. The “going out” and “coming in” bracket the believer’s journey, encouraging continual reliance on divine protection.

Historical Vignettes

• Hezekiah’s Tunnel (2 Chronicles 32). Engineering a new motsaʾ for the Gihon spring transformed a vulnerable water source into a secure lifeline, illustrating pragmatic faith that works within God’s provision.
• Solomonic Trade (1 Kings 10). The influx of wealth and power through foreign motsaʾ engaged Israel with the wider world, foreshadowing later entanglements when the source of trust shifted from the Lord to horses and chariots (cf. Isaiah 31:1).

Ministry Insights

1. Guard the Source. Cultivate inner devotion so that what proceeds from the heart blesses others, mirroring the purity of the divine motsaʾ.
2. Honor Speech. Let every promise align with God’s faithfulness; broken vows contaminate the flow.
3. Steward Outgoings. Daily departures—work, travel, online presence—are arenas for embodying the name of the Lord whose watchful care extends “forevermore” (Psalm 121:8).
4. Celebrate Creation’s Rhythm. Sunrise and spring testify each day to God’s generosity; worship that notices these outward signs strengthens inward gratitude.

Selected References

Deuteronomy 8:3; 23:23

1 Kings 10:28; 2 Chronicles 1:16

2 Chronicles 32:3–4, 30

Psalm 19:6; 65:8; 121:8

1 Chronicles 9:18

וּכְמוֹצָ֣א וּמֹצָ֥אֵי וּמוֹצָ֥א וּמוֹצָ֧א וּמוֹצָאָ֡יו וכמוצא ומוצא ומוצאיו ומצאי כְּמוֹצָאֵ֖י כמוצאי לְמֹצָ֥אֵי לְמוֹצָ֥אֵי לְמוֹצָאֵיהֶֽם׃ למוצאי למוצאיהם׃ למצאי מ֤וֹצָֽאֵי־ מִ֭מּוֹצָא מֹ֣צָא מֹצָ֣א מֽוֹצָא֑וֹ מֽוֹצָא֗וֹ מוֹצָ֑א מוֹצָ֞א מוֹצָ֣א מוֹצָ֣אֵיהֶ֔ן מוֹצָ֥א מוֹצָ֨א מוֹצָֽאֲךָ֙ מוֹצָאֵ֥י מוֹצָאֵיהֶ֛ם מוצא מוצאו מוצאי מוצאי־ מוצאיהם מוצאיהן מוצאך ממוצא מצא kə·mō·w·ṣā·’ê kemotzaEi kəmōwṣā’ê lə·mō·ṣā·’ê lə·mō·w·ṣā·’ê lə·mō·w·ṣā·’ê·hem ləmōṣā’ê lemoTzaei lemotzaeiHem ləmōwṣā’ê ləmōwṣā’êhem mim·mō·w·ṣā mimmōwṣā Mimotza mō·ṣā mō·w·ṣā mō·w·ṣā·’ă·ḵā mō·w·ṣā·’ê mō·w·ṣā·’ê- mō·w·ṣā·’ê·hem mō·w·ṣā·’ê·hen mō·w·ṣā·’ōw mōṣā moTza motzaaCha Motzaei motzaeiHem moTzaeiHen motzaO mōwṣā mōwṣā’ăḵā mōwṣā’ê mōwṣā’ê- mōwṣā’êhem mōwṣā’êhen mōwṣā’ōw ū·ḵə·mō·w·ṣā ū·mō·ṣā·’ê ū·mō·w·ṣā ū·mō·w·ṣā·’āw uchemoTza ūḵəmōwṣā ūmōṣā’ê umoTza umotzaAv umoTzaei ūmōwṣā ūmōwṣā’āwInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts